Vitamins from food vs vitamin pills

Do you really need vitamin pills?
Are they an essential part of a healthy diet or an expensive addition which you can do without?

What are vitamins?
Vitamins are naturally occurring chemicals essential for health, found in minute quantities in most foods. They are vital for normal growth and development, and for many chemical reactions in the body, working as catalysts to release energy from food.

What are the vitamin types?
There are thirteen vitamins, which are split into ‘fat soluble’ and ‘water soluble’ types. Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E and K, while water soluble types include B-vitamins, folate and vitamin C. What are the best sources of vitamins?The key to obtaining enough vitamins in your diet is to eat a variety of healthy foods. The highest sources include fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish and eggs, reduced fat dairy products, nuts and wholegrains.

When do I need to boost my vitamin intake?
Vegetarian: Non-meat eaters can run low on vitamin B12. This vitamin can be found in fortified soy milk and in other fortified, ready-prepared vegetarian foods. For lacto-ovo-vegetarians, it can be found in eggs and dairy foods.

Athletes: Active people have increased needs for vitamins, in particular vitamin C (from citrus fruit and juices, berries, broccoli) and vitamin E (nuts, eggs, fish, wholegrains, green leafy vegetables).

Vitamin deficiencies
Symptoms of vitamin deficiency depend on the vitamin you are lacking but can include lack of energy, poor appetite, and fatigue. Others can include hair loss, dry, cracked lips and depression.

If you think you may lacking the right amount of vitamins, or just want to know more about the nutrients in your diet, a dietitian at Food & Nutrition Australia (FNA) can assess your individual needs and provide you with a detailed meal plan to ensure you are obtaining the all the vitamins you need from your food.

Are supplements useful?
Supplements should not be taken in place of a balanced, nutritious eating plan, but they may be of use for people with an inadequate nutritional intake over the short or long term. For an assessment of your nutrient needs and for more information on vitamin supplements speak to an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) at FNA.

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